Modern wireless communications systems, such as cellular telephone systems, typically include a digital transmission and reception capability that enables messages and data to be transferred between the network and individual mobile stations such as handheld radiotelephone transceivers, portable computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Two currently available cellular telephone communications that support this capability are TDMA-based systems known as IS-136 and as GSM. Other systems, such as the CDMA-based system known as IS-95, also support this capability.
By example, IS-136, Revision A, describes in Section 7 different classes of Point-to-Point Teleservices that build on a R-Data message (Sections 2.7.3.1.3.2.19 and 3.7.3.1.3.2.23 of IS-136.2, and Sections 6.4.3.11 and 6.4.4.9 of IS-136.1) An Over-the-Air Activation Teleservice (OATS) that supports data exchange between a mobile station and a Customer Service Center (CSC)/Over-the-Air Activation Function (OTAF) is described in Section 7.2. The data is organized in a specific format referred to as OATS messages (Section 7.2.7). The OATS Teleservice can be performed either on a Digital Traffic Channel (DTC) or a Digital Control Channel (DCCH). As presently specified, the OTAF includes procedures that allow a cellular service subscriber to activate (i.e., become authorized for) cellular service without the intervention of a third party, such as a dealer.
Currently available mobile stations also include a so-called Short Code Memory (SCM) for storing, typically, a list of alphanumeric text and related phone numbers. This data is typically stored in a non-volatile memory within the mobile station such that the data is always available for use.
However, currently available mobile stations that are known to the inventor do not provide a capability to backup or archive the data stored in the SCM. As such, if for some reason the SCM data is lost or corrupted, it is necessary for the user to re-enter all or some of the data stored in the SCM. Furthermore, if the user desires to obtain a new mobile station, there is at present no suitable capability to transfer the contents of the SCM to the new mobile station. In this regard, it can be realized that the SCM data may not be completely compatible with the functionality of the new mobile station. By example, the user's original mobile station may provide for alphanumeric strings of up to n characters to be stored in the SCM, while the new mobile station may provide a capability to store m characters, where m&lt;n. The SCM data may also be stored in different formats, and certain SCM-related features supported by the original mobile station may not be supported by the new mobile station, and vice versa. As such, performing a simple byte-by-byte image transfer of the contents of one SCM to another SCM may not be desirable or feasible.